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Birds have kept Pike Lake beach closed since last week.
According to Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver, the health department has been having trouble with E. coli at the beach all summer long.
Every summer, between the weekend before Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, the health department tests all the public beaches. The acceptable level of E. coli is 235 colonies per 100 ml of water.
At Pike Lake, "we've been getting really high numbers," said Weaver. The levels of E. coli were in the thousands. Last week, the samples the health department took were "really bad all week" and he said he couldn't in good conscience keep the beach open. The lowest number the health department had last week was about 800 E. coli colonies per 100 mL of water.
Four samples were taken last Friday and when officials looked at the results Saturday, all four samples were bad, Weaver said.
The health department is able to test the water samples in-house, which is a big help, Weaver said.
Weaver believes the problem is because of the waterfowl - geese, ducks and seagulls. The inlets to the lake were tested and they weren't nearly as bad.
"I just think it's the birds messing up the lake," he said.
The lake hasn't had any good circulation to stir the waters. He said a good rain or just a good wind would stir the water and help eliminate the E. coli problem.
Other local beaches have been fine, he said. At Center Lake, Weaver said they have been getting really good results, but Center Lake doesn't have as severe a bird problem.
Weaver said they retested Pike Lake this morning and will get the results Tuesday. Since they are taking four samples a day, if they get two good results, the beach will be re-opened.
But until they get good results, Pike Lake beach will remain closed.
E. coli can cause illness that starts out like gastrointestinal distress but can progress to something more serious.
E. coli is especially bad for small children who would normally play or swim closer to shore where the E. coli numbers are higher.
